White House displeasure over the prospect of an under-16 social media ban will not deter the UK from cracking down on tech platforms, the British government said. Technology secretary Liz Kendall said she was not concerned “in the slightest” by the Trump administration’s intervention after the US embassy in London posted a notice warning against a ban. Kendall added that nine out of 10 respondents to a government poll supported an under-16 ban. She said she was “very happy to read any submission anybody makes” but her priority was “British young people”.
The government is set to announce some form of social media ban for under-16s next week, alongside other restrictions such as a possible block on conversations with strangers on gaming platforms. Limits on Artificial Intelligence chatbot use are also under consideration. Asked about the intervention, Downing Street said it would “always act in the UK’s national interest” and that protecting young people was no different. Kendall denied there was any tension between seeking investment into the UK from US Artificial Intelligence companies and implementing regulations that affect major American tech firms, saying companies would continue investing in Britain.
In a submission to a government consultation on online safety, the US government came out against “prescribed one-size-fits-all government restrictions” and “blunt regulatory instruments” to address online harms to children. The notice, published by the US embassy in London, added that age-gating for 13- to 16-year-olds would not work. Instead, the Trump administration called on the UK to give parents “robust tools” to manage privacy settings and account controls, and to require platforms to offer a healthy online experience rather than outright bans.
The UK approach to online safety has been a source of tension between the White House and Downing Street, with the Online Safety Act attracting criticism from across the Atlantic because of free speech concerns. Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has launched a legal challenge against the UK media regulator over the fees and fines regime being enforced under the act. The imminent UK government announcement follows the implementation of an under-16 ban in Australia, where there is a blanket ban on under-16s accessing social media, meaning popular platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat are blocked. The Molly Rose Foundation has urged strict safety standards for social media apps before bans are imposed.
